The Lark and the Nightingale
by BronzeWolf336
Summary: Brynjolf and Larka both finally address the feelings they have for each other, and their relationship begins to grow.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Brynjolf gazed worriedly up at the clear night sky. He had tried not to worry about her, but he couldn't stop himself. Larka had been gone for far too long, a simple but specially requested burglary in Bruma didn't take nearly three weeks to complete. It was very unlike his Nord friend to be late while doing a job for the Guild.

'What could have gone wrong?' Brynjolf thought, studying the stars from where he was perched upon the roof of the Temple of Mara. She was strong, and very capable, but had sending Larka to Cyrodiil alone been a smart idea? Probably not.

The worried thief shook his head, auburn hair glistening in the light of the twin moons. Perhaps he was over-reacting, and worrying for nothing. His fellow thief would probably come dancing back into the Cistern tomorrow, and chiding him for his fears for her.

Brynjolf smiled to think of her. After her role in bringing the former Guildmaster, Mercer Frey's malicious plans to destroy the Guild for his own personal gain, to light, risking everything she had with the Guild and more, Larka had been offered Mercer's position as Leader of the Thieves Guild. She had declined, however, stating she was too young and the honor belong to someone who had been there longer and who had more experience.

The lass had been right, and he admired her for it.

Larka was only twenty, eight years his junior, and at that age, it was hard to turn down power. After a short Guild meeting, it was agreed by all the thieves, Delvin Malory was to be there new Guildmaster.

When Brynjolf had first met Larka, he hadn't thought much of her, only as a potential Guild recruit. He had thought her pretty, but a bit young and innocent. Gods, had he been wrong to think her incapable. All her jobs were clean and well executed, and she could fight. Over the few months after she had joined, the auburn-haired thief had begun to grow feelings for her. After Mercer was officially dealt with, and they shared the Nightingale secret, Brynjolf had tried to distance himself from her too avoid unwanted attention. It hurt him to and it seemed to hurt her as well. His automatic reply of 'Sorry lass, I've got important things to do. We'll speak another time.' to Larka's attempts to speak with him hit her hard. Eventually, she stopped trying. They had grown distant over the past couple of months.

Shaking his head again, Brynjolf pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes till he saw spots, and silently slid from the roof of the temple, making his way through the back passage into the Guild.

The Cistern was silent except for the continuous running of water through the room. The rest of the Guild members were asleep, save for those not present. Brynjolf had been made second-in-command after Delvin had been named Guildmaster, so he made his way to his own private quarters, round the circular room of snoring thieves. Down a hallway and through a heavy wooden door, the master thief locked the door and disposed of his light Guild armor on the table. Lighting a small fire in the hearth to dry the room out, Brynjolf lay on the double bed in a thin tunic and breaches.

The air was damp and cold, but slowly began to dry out with the fire. Not even bothering to get under the sheets and furs, the tired second-in-command drifted off into an uneasy sleep

 **Hey guys! It's Asleif (: this is not my first fic, but it is the first one that I have posted on a public domain. This is just chapter one, many more chapters have already been written and just need to be typed up. I will be posting regularly!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The cool air cut at her lungs like shards of ice as she ran. She couldn't stop for fear that they would catch her. She just kept running. Larka's skin burned and hurt where she had multiple wounds. After the dragon had torn Helgan apart, he thief had managed to escape from the ruined town. The Imperials had her in line for the chopping block. Another prisoner had been at the block when the dark yet very solid shadow crashed down onto the tower, and proceeded to raze the town to the ground. She had hidden in one of the towers before breaking loose from her Imperial captors in the aftermath confusion. From Helgan she headed as directly east as she was able, avoiding roads and any populated areas. It was a three day journey through the low snowy mountains to the flat lake region of the Rift on foot, but Larka was determined to cut that number in half. Even when her body screamed for rest, the young Nord thief did not dare stop in fear of not being able to carry on through the ice and snow.

Eventually, the snow and ice tapered down into the flat region of the Rift, and the air became slightly humid but with a muggy chill. The ground underneath Larka's pounding feet became marshy, and the sky was clouded and misty. 'I can't stop.' the tired thief thought as she tripped over a mossy log and nearly face planted into the soggy soil. She only halted for short rests to catch her breath and to drink from a stream, but was quickly moving again.

'The Guild s going to be furious.' she thought. 'They might even kick me out!' The burglary had gone well as her jobs always did, and the stolen items had been placed at the drop off point where the client would collect them. This was also where the pouches of coin were. The job was a bit unorthodox, but it had paid well. Unfortunately, Larka had walked right into an Imperial ambush waiting for a troop of Stormcloaks, along with a thief who was not with the Guild, and a traveler. She had lost all of her belongings when the soldiers had searched everyone. The only thing she had now was her light armor of the Guild.

Despite the chill in the air, Larka was sweating profusely, soaking the linen tunic under her armor. Beads of moisture rolled down her face from her hairline under her hood. When she felt far enough into the Rift to feel safe from Imperial Legion encounters, the thief traveled along the road. Riften was still many hours of traveling away.

'You don't have any weapons to protect yourself. Keep. Running.'

And run she did.

* * *

The thieves were busy around the Cistern, chatting, training, arguing, and collecting rewards. Brynjolf had woken up later than usual. His night had been restless and he hadn't fallen asleep properly till the early hours of the morning. The master thief was going over the Guilds charter book when a loud clang and a thump had everyone in the large room jump and turn to the ladder that lead to the back way out of the Cistern. The loud clang had been the metal port hole cover slamming shut, and the thud had been Larka practically falling down the wooden ladder. She stumbled when her feet hit the cold stone floor, the little thief dropping to the ground in heap, visibly breathing fast and hard.

Sapphire was the first to recover from the sudden surprise, and rushed to help Larka to her feet. She shakily got up, almost collapsing again. Everyone unfroze at once and made their way over to that side of the Cistern. Brynjolf pushed through the crowd of thieves, and rushed to help Sapphire hold Larka up. "What happened to you, lass? You looked as if you haven't stopped moving in days." She looked up at him, his heart suddenly clenching in his chest to see her face. Larka's eyes were wide and blood shot, dark circles ringed them. They were fearful and exhausted, but also showed traces of relief. Her cheeks were flushed and her skin clammy, cut and bruised. Her body shook and her bottom lip trembled. A smile ghosted its way onto her features. "That's not far from it Bryn." she responded. Her eyes rolled back, and her body went limp. Brynjolf caught her in his arms and lifted her up. "Sapphire," he spoke urgently, "get a basin of hot water and a cloth, get Vex to help you. I'll need you both to look after her till she wakes up." The blond woman nodded, and went to do as she was asked.

Thinking quickly, Brynjolf carried his friend's unconscious form to is private quarters. "You'll have more privacy in here, lass," he whispered to her. Laying Larka down on the bed and stoking the fire, he gently removed her armor and set it aside. Her boots, gauntlets, and leg armor he set next to the body armor.

The linen shirt and breaches she wore were plastered to her feverish skin with sweat, and she began to shiver. "It's alright, lass, you're safe now, no need to fret." He brushed a hand over her cheeks and forehead. It suddenly occurred to him that Larka didn't have her usual pack, or any of her weapons with her. "When you wake up, I'm sure you will have quite a tale to tell."

At that moment, Sapphire and Vex hurried into the room, Vex mumbling something about how she hadn't joined the Guild to babysit. They ushered him out and closed the door. The distressed thief contemplated sitting outside the door and waiting, but decided against it. Larka wouldn't be up for hours. Instead, Brynjolf strode off to report everything to Delvin.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Worry ate at his heart and mind as the thief made his way to the Guildmaster's quarters. As usual, Delvin wasn't there. "Of course Brynjolf, you idiot, he'll be in the Flagon, where he always is." Brynjolf grumbled to himself. He hurried back through the Cistern to the Ragged Flagon. Delvin Mallory was in his usual chair. "Ah, there you are, Brynjolf," the balding Breton said, "I was wondering when you would show up. How is our little Guild savior?" Brynjolf took the seat across from him, "Sapphire and Vex are looking after her." He signaled Vekel to bring him a drink. The Guildmaster took a drink from his tankard before saying, "Any idea what could have happened to her? Rune said she fell through the back door." The second shook his head, "Larka didn't say much before passing out. None of her gear is with her; it's all gone, weapons and all. Something bad happened, Delvin. She's cut and burned wherever her armor doesn't cover." He accepted the tankard of ale from Vekel, handing the Man a few septims in return.

The Guildmaster seemed troubled, downing the rest of his drink in one go. "That means the payment for the burglary job in Bruma won't be with her. At least she's alright." Brynjolf ignored the fact that his superior mentioned the money before their Guildmates wellbeing. 'Delvin cares for her, just a slip of the tongue.' he assured himself. The Guild was returning to normal, or as normal as ever, and their luck was returning, thanks to 'Lady Luck'. Nocturnal had been good to the thieves upon the return of the skeleton key to the Twilight Sepulcher, thanks to Larka's devotion to the Guild. Brynjolf's heart clenched again. "I guess we won't know until the lass wakes up."

Sitting back in his chair, Brynjolf ran a hand down his face. "What ever happened, let us hope it's not because of that burglary job in Bruma you sent her on, alone, I might add." the auburn-haired thief quipped, picking up his mug and taking a long pull from it. Delvin snorted, "If it is, it'll be because the client tipped someone off about it, like with the job Vex and Vipir had in Windhelm." Brynjolf couldn't help but chuckle. That job had earned Vipir his name 'the Fleet'.

Shaking his head and finishing his drink, Brynjolf and Delvin both turned to the sound of the hidden cabinet to the Cistern opening; Sapphire and Vex came into the Flagon, joining the two men at the table. Before Brynjolf could say anything, Sapphire immediately cut him off, "She's sleeping soundly for the most part now, having been through something very stressful." Vex seemed to have softened up a little, "There are bruises on her wrists from where she was bound up tight. A gash above her temple suggests she was knocked out at some point." Brynjolf thought he was going to be sick as his mind ran through every possible scenario of why she had been bound and knocked out. "Will she be alright, Vex?" he asked gingerly. "Of course," she replied, "Sapphire and I wouldn't be in here talking to you two block heads if she wasn't going to be okay." Sapphire nodded in agreement, "We don't believe what happened to me with those bandits happened to Larka, Brynjolf. She would have viciously fought any attempts of rape, and the wounds she has are where armor doesn't cover. She would be a hell of a lot more bruised and beaten, even if she were unconscious. And really, Brynjolf, you should have more faith in us then to think we would leave her." The two women looked at each other and seemed to have a silent exchange of words, which ended with both of them suppressing giggles. Brynjolf could feel his cheeks turning pink. He crossed his arms in front of his broad chest, "Am I not supposed to care for my friend's wellbeing?" Sapphire gave him a sour look, "If it had been anyone else, you would have told them to shake it off, and you definitely wouldn't have put them in your own private quarters." Delvin raised an eyebrow at his second in command, who was blushing even harder, "The lass deserves privacy until she recovers, and I will be sleeping where everyone else does till she does." Vex laughed, "We're just messing with you, and seriously, blushing doesn't suit you, the pink clashes with your hair."

She and Sapphire got up and headed back to the Cistern together, giggling the whole way. Brynjolf turned as red as his hair. It was Delvin's turn to laugh, "Oh, Brynjolf, you may flirt with every bonny lass you pass in the street, but everyone can tell clear as crystal you have feelings for Larka." The blushing thief grunted but didn't reply, only getting up to get another drink. Or something much stronger.

 **Hello everyone! I've been getting good reviews which makes me happy (: The story will pick up in a few more chapters, just bear with me! After this week, I probably won't be able to update till mid January, but till then I will be aiming for a chapter a day.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Larka's head was pounding when she finally woke up. She didn't open her eyes right away, but listened. A fire was crackling somewhere in the room, which was too quiet to be the main chamber of the Cistern. Someone was nearby; a friendly presence. Slowly, Larka opened her eyes. A soft light filled the small stone room, which consisted of a desk, a table, chest, and the double bed she was laying on.

Pressing the heels of her hands into her eyes, she groaned. 'Why does my head hurt so much?' she thought. Every heart beat sent a throbbing, pulsing pain through her temples and forehead. Letting out a sigh, she tried to sit upon her elbows, but immediately regretted it. Heat seared through Larka's limbs as if her muscles were on fire. She yelped, falling back onto the bed. Rolling onto her side, she tried sitting up that way. A chair skid slightly against the stone floor, and a pair of leather boots hurried to the bed side. Large, warm hands grasped her shoulders, laying her back down. "Easy, lass, no need to get up yet, you're still not fully recovered." As her eyes focused on the face above her, Larka smiled despite the pain she was feeling. "Brynjolf?" The thief smiled back. "Aye, lass, it's good 'ol Brynjolf. How are you feeling Larka?"

Her immediate reaction would have been 'fine', but she didn't feel it. Better than she did, but the muscle aches and the pounding headache wear horrible. "Terrible, to be honest with you, Bryn." Larka couldn't lie to him, not on the smallest of things even if she tried. The older thief looked sadly down at her. "I'm sorry, lass." Her heart fluttered at the sincerity in his voice; most of the time he was sarcastic and a bit rude, but now he was genuine. Carefully and slowly, she was able to push herself into a sitting position, with his help of course. "My legs and chest feel like they're on fire, and my head feels like I've been clubbed by a giant." Rubbing her temples, Larka tried to sooth her head while also ignoring her cramping leg muscles. She heard the sound of liquid being poured into a cup, and Brynjolf handed her a mug of water. "That should help, you've been out for nearly two days."

Larka nearly choked on her drink. "Two days? Did anything happen while I was out?" Brynjolf pulled over a chair and sat down. "I have the strangest feeling you may already know this, lass, but Helgan has been destroyed by a dragon, about four days ago now." His green eyes stared deep into her icy blue ones. Larka bit her lip. "I may have gotten caught up in it."

The second-in-command took her hand in his. "How did that happen?" Worrying her lip more, she remained quiet for a few moments. "You should go get Delvin so I only have to repeat my story once." she finally replied.

Once Brynjolf had retrieved the Guildmaster, Larka told them both what had happened on her journey. She had made it to Bruma, did the job, and headed back to Skyrim. The thief had exchanged the items (a collecting of journals) for the bag of gold waiting at the drop off point and began heading back to Riften. Along the road, she had gotten caught in an Imperial Legion ambush on a small band of Stormcloaks. A blow to the head had knocked her out cold for at least half a day. She and the captured Stormcloaks were taken to Helgan to be executed. "I wasn't on the list, but the captain had me ordered to the block any way." She shuddered at the thought of waiting for death in a line. "Then the dragon attacked, and I managed to run after the town was almost completely destroyed. I ran all the way here, fearing the Legion would be after me, or the dragon. I made the trip in just over a day."

The two men sat in silence for a few moments. Larka sheepishly added, "I don't have the coin from the job, I'm afraid. Everything was taken from me when I was captured." Delvin let out a laugh, patting her on the shoulder. "That's all right, girly, you just get better. It's not your fault the Legion tries to execute everyone for being in the wrong place at the wrong time." The Guildmaster got up and left the room.

 **I'm back! I hope everyone had a good holiday. I should be posting every day now. Like I've said, I have most of the story written down, at least 10 or so more chapters. I will have them typed up and posted as often as possible. So sorry that this is so slow moving, but since the relationship between Larka and Brynjolf is basically the only plot, I want to set it up gradually.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 6

"I'm well enough. I need something to do, Delvin, I have to make up for the botched job last week. I am going insane hanging around the Cistern all day!" Larka protested loudly to the Guildmaster. Delvin ran a hand down his face, saying, "Larka, give it another week or so and then we'll start easing you back into the swing of things, alright?" The exasperated thief made a growling noise in the back of her throat. "I won't even take a cut till the debt is paid. Please Delvin, I just can't sit like a duck for another week. I'll stay away from the holds with Imperial influence till we're sure they are not looking for me. Even if it's just roughing some people up." She could see in the Guildmaster's face that he was weighing what she had said with considerable thought. After a moment of contemplation, he replied, "How about a vacation? You remember my brother Glover in Raven Rock, right? Sapphires father?"

Larka nodded, remembering how she helped the ebony mine there get up and running again. She also remembered Glover Mallory, Delvin's younger brother, and who also happened to be Sapphires father, whom Sapphire did not know about till Larka had brought her letters from Glover. They now exchanged frequent letters back and forth from Raven Rock and Riften. "Yeah, I helped him out a few times, including taking care of rogue thief who took his hospitality for granted." Delvin grinned. "Well, now that that ash pit is back on its feet and bringing in some nice coin from the mine, it's time we set up stronger ties over there. With your and my dear brother's help, rogue thieves should be an issue of the past."

Thinking for a moment, Larka asked, "you mean, setting up a Guild over in Solstheim, a place of operation like here in Riften?" The Guildmaster quirked an eyebrow, "Yeah, why not?" The women laughed. "Raven Rock, let alone Solstheim, isn't very populated." Delvin smirked, "You would be surprised at how much its grown since you were last there." Crossing her arms, she frowned a little. "When can I leave? And how long do you think this 'vacation' will be?"

"You can leave in three days if you'd like, then it'll be as long as you think necessary to begin establishing a Guild base. And why don't you take Sapphire with you? My niece may actually want to see her father in person." Those words didn't seem right rolling off Delvin's tongue, and Larka Laughed, "Alright, 'Uncle Delvin', I will talk to Sapphire." He snorted and pretended to look over the business ledger.

After Larka had talked with Sapphire in the Ragged Flagon, she headed back to the Cistern. Sapphire had been a little surprised at the fact of actually meeting her father. "I haven't thought past sending him letters." She had told Larka. The blond hadn't been so sure, but some time talking, she became very eager, saying, "I do need to get away for a while." It was settled; Larka and Sapphire would travel to Solstheim to help Glover, or rather Glover help them, set up a Guild Base in Raven Rock.

Larka closed the false back panel of the cabinet leading from the Flagon to the Cistern, and headed down the passage. She was so engrossed in her thoughts, the young thief didn't notice the auburn haired figure fingering in the shadows till he was right behind her. "So, lass, you are going on 'vacation' without me?" Larka jumped away violently, pulled to daggers from her belt and spinning round to face an oncoming threat. Her eyes were wide and her heart was racing a million miles an hour. "Brynjolf!" She squeaked, "You scared me almost out of my armor!" The second-in-command grinned slyly. "And that would have been a bad thing, lass?" he purred. Larka could feel a blush creep up into her cheeks. Putting her daggers away, she crossed her arms. "And why did you have to scare me?" He looked down at his boots, mumbling, "I didn't mean to scare you, a thief's habits tend to linger even when not on a job."

Larka stepped closer to him. "I can understand that. You're forgiven." She smiled at him, then also looked down. "So you heard what Sapphire and I are doing?" Brynjolf nodded, then said, "Are you sure you will be alright, lass? I know you have been there before, practically saved Raven Rock from disappearing from the map of Solstheim, but why didn't you suggest I come with you?" His green eyes were almost sad as he looked up from his boots. She bit her lip. Larka hadn't even thought of asking for Brynjolf to come along with her and Sapphire. "I suppose I need this time to recover myself. I'm not forgetting about you, Bryn, don't think that for a moment. Just…give me some time. When I get back, which shouldn't be too long, we can begin to think about us."

Reaching up, she brushed aside a stray auburn strand of hair that had fallen in his face, lingering to gently trace his cheekbone. He sighed, closing his eyes for a brief moment, as if to concentrate on her touch. Stepping closer, she pressed a kiss to his cheek, and his eyes flew open. She took both of his hands in hers. "I will think of you every day; I may even write a letter." She laughed. A smile came across Brynjolf's features. It turned her bones to jelly, as did everything about him. "Aye, lass, and I will do the same." Leaning down slowly, he pressed his lips to hers. Heat burst through Larka's limbs, and a strange numbing feeling came over her. A fire was kindling in her chest, and her heart threatened to break from of her ribs.

Larka stepped even closer, closing the distance between them till the fronts of their armor were flush together. Oh, how she wished the thick leather would disappear! Their arms were wrapped around each other, never having been so close in such an intimate way before. Brynjolf's hands began to roam her armored body, tugging slightly at the many leather pieces. Her tongue was numb and her lips parted slightly against his. His tongue brushed her bottom lip teasingly, and she did the same to him. Now her mind was extremely fogged, but she knew now was the time to stop before it went too far too soon. Gently, Larka put her hands against his broad chest; even in the armor she could feel the lean muscle underneath; and slowly brought them apart, breaking the heated kiss.

Breathing more labored, they both looked at each other for a long moment, blue eyes gazing into a sea of green. Larka licked her lips, thinking of something to say. Quietly, she spoke, "When I get back, we will focus on us, Bryn." She quickly kissed him again, not allowing either a chance to latch on. His face matched his hair color. "Aye, lass, that we will."

 **I was away this weekend and didn't have my laptop so I haven't updated since Friday, so here is an extra long chapter to make up for me breaking my 'a-chapter-a-day' promise. Reviews are like money, so give me lots por favor.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 7

The three days went by too quickly; before Brynjolf knew it, Larka was gone. He did know how long the Solstheim trip would take: months. Too long. The thief moped around the Cistern day in and day out. There were very few jobs for him, so hanging around the Guild was all he could do. Delvin compared him to a pining puppy. Vex rolled her eyes at his sour mood, and Rune and Thrynn felt bad for him. "She'll be back before you know it, Brynjolf." They would say to him, holding back amused grins. Brynjolf would hear them talking as he walked away, "He's always been a ladies-man and a flirt, but boy, I think he might actually be in love with Larka."

Those comments just soured his pouty mood even more, probably because they were true. Brynjolf worried about her, and he did love her. 'She'll be back soon you love-struck Nightingale, she held out against your foolishness long before you knew your own feelings. Everything will be fine.'

Days rolled into weeks, and weeks into months. The Guild had received a few letters from the thief duo, updating Delvin on their progress. Along with these letters came personal notes addressed to Brynjolf.

They were day to day happenings. More personal and much less business. Little trinkets were sometimes slipped into the envelope, small oddities from the ash lands. Brynjolf's most treasured gift was a peculiar amulet on a black leather cord. 'The amulet is made of a red ore that is found here on Solstheim. It is called 'Heart Stone', made from the eruption of the Red Mountain. I found a deposit and asked Glover to make it into an amulet.' the letter had said. The stone was beautiful. Glover had framed it in gold dotted with small pieces of ebony. The stone itself was red as fire, yellow and orange flares danced across it when it caught the light. He never took it off, but kept it tucked in the armor or shirt he was wearing.

Her letters made the longs days not so long. They gave him peace of mind that when she got back, she would be his and he would be hers.

The lack of work was causing the thief to become lazy. He began to fill the long lonely days training. Duel dagger practice, hand to hand, and archery were the main areas he focused on. Soon his muscles began to tone out again.

Constant training also helped ease his mind alongside Larka's letters. The amulet symbolized the unique bond between the two thieves. The last letter Brynjolf had received from her was the best yet: 'Sapphire and I are just about finished in Raven Rock, Bryn. We'll be heading home sometime next month. I'll see you then, Nightingale.'

 **Really short, I'm terribly sorry, more will be up shortly. Reviews are life, and my motivation to type more per chapter and to update more frequently (HINT HINT).**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 8

The Northern Maiden rocked back and forth along the frozen sea below. Larka stood at the bow of the ship, breathing in the salty air. Sapphire was below deck, attempting to keep her guts in. She didn't fare well during sea travel; Larka however enjoyed it. She felt like no one could touch her. She was free. The chunks of ice swirled around the hull of the ship, and the snow and wind whipped around mast and sail. If she concentrated hard, Larka could make out the dark silhouette of Windhelm. "I'll be home soon, Bryn." she whispered to the wind.

* * *

The journey from Windhelm to Riften had gone by quickly, mostly because Larka had slept the whole carriage ride. Upon her and Sapphire's arrival in the City of Thieves, she was wide awake, while Sapphire was ready to drop. Silently entering and making their way through the sleeping city, the two women crept down the back way into the Guild.

Everyone was asleep. Snoring lumps rose and fell in each bed, save two, in the dim light of the Cistern. Sapphire practically crawled to her bed and fell asleep. Going over to her own bed, Larka stripped off her armor and went to the wash room carrying a change of clothes.

The warm water felt good on Larka's ash abused skin. Raven Rock had picked up tremendously. It was still a city of ashes, but the population had at least quadrupled, as had the number of buildings. Everything had gone well.

After bathing, the young thief pulled on her clean shirt and pants, and went to bed.

Two hours later, Larka was still awake. "Why did I have to sleep all the way home?" she asked herself in the dark. It was early in the morning, around two or three. After a few more minute of tossing and turning, she got up. Pulling on a pair of fur shoes and grabbing her daggers, bow, and quiver of arrows. Larka tip toed past all the sleeping thieves, down the hall that had the private quarters. Briefly stopping at Brynjolf's door, she debated on going inside, but continued past to the training room.

The training room (not surprising of course) was empty. Looking around, Larka breathed in deeply. "It is good to be back." Deciding to loosen up with archery first, she strung her bow and began imbedding arrow after arrow into the round bale target. The thief practiced this until her arms wouldn't bend without shaking. As she slipped the quiver off her back, she paused. Movement by the doorway had caught her eye. Looking over, nothing was there. Shrugging it off, she belted on her daggers and began tearing apart a straw dummy.

Larka lost track of time. The dummy didn't stand a chance: it was reduced to nothing but bits of straw, canvas ribbons, and wood chips, when she finally called it a night. Or morning, it was very early in the morning. The thief was sweating, her clothes sticking to her. "I believe I am now ready to sleep." she joked to herself. Her muscles were now quivering slightly. Gathering up her weaponry, Larka headed back to the Cistern.

The hallway was dark now, all the torches had burned out. A shadow moved behind her, but before she could react, a strong pair arms were wrapped around her, pinning her arms to her sides. A surge of panic swept over Larka, but was quickly dissolved when a pair of lips began to kiss her neck.

"Brynjolf." she breathed, with no doubt in who it was.

 **I meant to post this yesterday but I fell asleep! Here you go, I'll be putting chapter 9 up later after my classes today (:**

 **Chapter 9 will be what rates this fic M, just a heads up.**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 9

The seasoned thief had heard near silent feet moving quickly in the hall way, pausing briefly by his door before moving on. Brynjolf quietly jumped from his bed and grabbed a shirt, throwing it on without even bothering to lace up the ties at the collar. Opening his door, his green eyes scanned the hall. A shadow disappeared into the training room. Creeping soundlessly across the threshold, the thief made his way to follow it. The sudden sound of arrows hitting a target made Brynjolf jump. Once at the doorway to the training room, he couldn't help the flutter of his heart.

Larka stood with perfect posture, shooting arrow after arrow till her quiver was empty. Then she would gather the arrows from the target and continue shooting, besting her imaginary foe again and again. Brynjolf couldn't help but sit in the shadows and watch her. Her form was perfect, delicate curves muscled and toned, her eyes sharp and clear. He was almost caught when the younger thief suddenly paused and looked his way. Pressing against the wall, Brynjolf held still. Eventually Larka shrugged and went back to her training.

This time, she pulled out her duel daggers and began to show a straw dummy a lesson or two in blades skill. The second-in-command watched her for a while. Larka's movements were fluent and natural, each swipe of her daggers moved gracefully into the next stab and slash flawlessly. The thief's body bent and twisted and lunged with such ease into the next attack: it was a deadly dance. Brynjolf lost track of the time watching her, till he noticed that the torches in the hall were almost out, as well as in the training room. Larka began to gather her things, and Brynjolf moved back into the darkest shadows. As she made her way past, the auburn-haired Nord reached his arms around her from behind, pulling her flush against his front. He felt her tense, and he began to trail kissed up and down her exposed neck. The woman in his arms relaxed, and she said one word in a rushed breath: his name.

"Brynjolf."

 **I know I said it would get to the M rating in this chapter, but my dorm building had a fire drill and routine room search at 9 o'clock at night that lasted for nearly an hour. I got behind on my Chemistry homework for tonight which means I didn't get a lot of story time (I was up really late last night and need an earlyish night). I know, a bad excuse, but hey, two chapters in a day? I'll have two thousand words for you tomorrow. I am so glad you all are enjoying the story (: I've always been funny about sharing the stories I have written because of what people will think, but you guys are awesome.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Heat flared up through Larka's body, from her neck to her toes. A strange want was pooling in her lower abdomen. "Brynjolf!" she breathed again, "I've missed you." The auburn-haired Nord chuckled against her sensitive flesh, sending shivers of pleasure down her spine. "I've missed you too, lass. You can't leave a man wanting for so long, it'll turn him into a beast."

Spinning in his arms to face him, Larka giggled, looking up at him with eyes heavy with lust. 'Gods, he is a beautiful man' she thought. "And now that I am back," she began, running her fingers through his thick long hair, "we need to make up for lost time, and focus on us." At those last few words, standing on tip-toes, Larka pressed her lips to his. They kissed, slowly at first, taking in each other's taste. Then Brynjolf let out a low animalistic growl. He ran his tongue over her bottom lip, then forced it into her mouth. At the same time, he grabbed Larka's ass, pulling her up and firmly against his chest.

At their new closeness and lack of armor, both only wearing loose shirt and trousers, Larka could feel his arousal pressing against her hip. Mind even more clouded, she pushed her tongue back against his. The two battled it out for a few seconds, till the younger Nord decided to bite the older one's tongue. With a small sound of surprise, Brynjolf pulled back from their kiss. "Well, lass, I didn't take you for the biting type." His face was red like she was sure hers was, and his eyes dark with lust. Lust and want. At his look, Larka's knees became weaker, her body unbearably warm, especially in her lower abdomen, where a feeling of a tightening coil was occurring. "You'll find that I am full of surprises, Bryn." She smiled coyly at him, biting her bottom lip, looking him up and down as she did.

Larka's feet suddenly left the floor as Brynjolf swiftly picked her up and carried her to his room. Once through the door way, he closed it and immediately pushed her back up against the hard wood, attacking her lips again as he did. The woman sighed loudly in surprise and the man let out a groan in response. Their hands were not idle, but explored each other's bodies. Larka ran her sweaty palms down his rather muscular arms, feeling the tense, toned muscles underneath. Not the muscles of a warrior, but of a quick, sneaky thief who was good with a blade. She traced her fingers down his solid chest and back, pressing her finger tips into the places she knew were sensitive.

Brynjolf growled when she did, and quickly started trailing harsh kisses down her neck, nipping the feverish flesh where the skin was thinnest. Below her ears. The joining over her neck and shoulder. The hallow of her throat…

Her mind was in complete numb pleasure. Every touch of his practiced fingers and tongue made her temperature spike and her body hypersensitive. Larka had bedded men before, but not one of them compared to what Brynjolf was doing to her now. Despite his forward efforts, his still only ghosted over her curves.

"Brynjolf, my love," she managed. He hummed in reply, sucking a pulse point on her neck, causing her to gasp, "You're not going to break me, fucking touch me properly already. "To emphasize her words, the smaller Nord pulled his earlobe between her teeth gently but firmly. He shifted slightly at her profound language, but began to press his hands firmly into her hips. After a few seconds, he ran them up her sides, pressing his thumbs into her abdomen and pushing them up under her ribs slightly. Larka inhaled and stretched, giving him more room to roam. Brynjolf moved up and down her body, one hand traveled up her sternum between her breasts, the other went under her shirt. She sighed again loudly as his fingers touched bare skin. The hand on her chest moved to grasp her left breast, kneading the mound, drawing a soft breathy moan form the woman. The auburn-haired man pulled her tighter against his body.

His hands suddenly left her, and quickly began to undo the laces at the top of her shirt. Once it was done, Brynjolf swiftly pulled the linen over Larka's head in one motion, tossing it into a nearby chair. A chill swept over her half naked body as he took a half step back to admire her. Instinctively, her arms came up to cover her breasts, but he gently rubbed his large hands down her arms and removed them. Her nipples peaked even more as a sensual shudder ran down her body. "I want to see you, Larka, don't hide any part of yourself." His gaze traveled down her body, over her chest and torso, and then came back up to her eyes. Something other than lust was glowing in his green eyes. Slowly, he pulled his own shirt off, tossing it with hers. Both in an equal state of undress, Brynjolf took the half step forward, pressing his naked front to hers.

She closed her eyes, sucking in a breath. Brynjolf's body was unbelievably warm. His chest was dusted with auburn hair, his whole torso sculpted with muscle. Larka touched his skin, running her small hands over his skin, doing as she had done before, pressing her finger tips into sensitive spots. The Nord grunted, bringing his hands up to feel her breasts, then took her face in his large hands, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss.

They both poured as much feeling as one could into such an innocent gesture of affection. It quickly became heated again. Brynjolf's hands oved back down to her breasts, kneading and occasionally rolling a nipple between his fingers. Little puffs of air would escape from her lips whenever he did this. A tingling sensation bloomed in her chest. "Shit, Bryn, have you always been this good with your hands?" She asked, blushing at her own bold words. He smirked against her lips, "Wait till you feel how talented I am with my tongue, lass."

 **FINALLY! It's about 2 in the morning but I did it. Not quite two thousand words, but a good amount. If there are any grammar or spelling mistakes or funky words, I apologize. As always, you guys are awesome, and leave a review please.**


	10. Chapter 10

Recap of Chapter 9:

 _They both poured as much feeling as one could into such an innocent gesture of affection. It quickly became heated again. Brynjolf's hands oved back down to her breasts, kneading and occasionally rolling a nipple between his fingers. Little puffs of air would escape from her lips whenever he did this. A tingling sensation bloomed in her chest. "Shit, Bryn, have you always been this good with your hands?" She asked, blushing at her own bold words. He smirked against her lips, "Wait till you feel how talented I am with my tongue, lass."_

* * *

Chapter 10

Lowering his head, Brynjolf followed the swell of her right breast with his hot tongue, while his hand still gave attention to the left breast. Larka closed her eyes tight in anticipation. The hot wetness traced its way to the hardened peak. Back arching like a recurve bow, the women sucked in a gasp of air. 'Sweet Dibella, is any man's tongue allowed to feel this amazing?' her mind hazily thought.

She couldn't help a low groan that escaped from her parted lips. Brynjolf ran the tip of his tongue back up her chest, over her collar bone and shoulder, to her ear. "Don't hold back your sounds of pleasure, love. I want to hear you moan." His teeth gently pulled at her ear. Another wave of heat bloomed in her abdomen.

Hands on his chest, Larka brought them apart to look into his eyes. The green depths were so intense she almost didn't feel the tug at her neck. Looking down, the two noticed that their twin amulets had intertwined. At the same moment, they both reached up to untangle them, one pair of hands dwarfing the other. Larka giggled, "I see you still have my gift?" He nodded. "Aye, I never take it from around my neck."

Larka's heart quivered with admiration, a smile stretching across her features. "I am glad, for I never remove mine."

They were kissing again, and pulling at the clothing that remained on each other's bodies. Larka slid her fur shoes off, and squeaked. "Sorry!" she apologized, "the floor is cold." Brynjolf laughed, quickly whisking her over to his bed. He lay her down and followed after, covering her with his broad body. With teeth and tongue, the Nord man nipped and nibbled at Larka's neck, reducing her to a writhing, moaning mess. Wave after wave of pleasure coursed through her as his mouth and hands worked the intimate levers and buttons of her body. Years of picking locks and pockets had attuned his senses in more than just thievery. Soon, both of them were bare of their clothing. Larka admired her lovers body, and he admired hers. Neither of them were flawless. Brynjolf had acne scars on his shoulders and chest, remnants of a sward wound along his side, and a burn scar covering most of his lower back, from when he had tried to seduce a woman in a tavern when he was younger, only to find out her husband was a mage.

He traced his fingertips down her body, running them over every scar, blemish, and stretch mark. "You are so beautiful, Larka." She blushed, not really knowing how to respond other then give a smile and an awkward 'thank you'. "You're not so bad yourself, Nightingale." She quirked an eyebrow at him, but ended up making a peculiar expression that made him chuckle. "I will take that as a compliment."

She kissed him, slow and lingering, which didn't last long. He pressed his large naked body back into hers. Her skin was hot and the touch of his set her senses on fire. Blood pulsed hard through every part of her body. He now straddled her right leg, and his right hand trailed again down her body, his left hand tangled in her hair.

The hand on her chest teased her nipples for a fleeting moment before moving down her stomach, over her hip and thigh, then back up to below her belly button. Larka gave into the instinct to part her legs as he delved below her waist and into her heat. She had no time to feel any awkwardness as her hips involuntarily bucked a few inches up from the bed: the feeling was too intense. The pad of his thumb worked her bundle of nerves as he massaged the rest of her with his fingers. His hips moved against her thigh to gain some friction for his monstrous erection.

Larka all but clawed her nails over is shoulders and back. She was shaking from the increased blood flow and hormones running through her system. Every muscle seemed to move on its own. She knew what she wanted, and she was damn well sure Brynjolf wanted the same thing.


	11. Chapter 11

_Recap of Chapter 10_

 _Larka all_ _but clawed her nails over is shoulders and back. She was shaking from the increased blood flow and hormones running through her system. Every muscle seemed to move on its own. She knew what she wanted, and she was damn well sure Brynjolf wanted the same thing._

* * *

Chapter 11

Because of the lack of windows down in the bowels of Riften, it was difficult to tell when a new day had dawned. Those in the sewers just had to trust their built in alarm clocks. Larka and Brynjolf both ignored theirs the next morning, sleeping half the day away. Luckily, none of the other thieves disturbed them, although they exchanged knowing grins when either of the missing thieves' names were mentioned.

Larka awoke with a smile on her lips. Stretching like a cat and sitting up to lean against the head board of the bed, she studied her still sleeping lover. Perhaps lover wasn't quite the right term, they were more than that. Brynjolf lay on his side facing the younger thief, mouth agape and drooling quite unattractively. A lock of his auburn hair was in his face, fluttering ever so slightly as he breathed. Larka sat quietly, admiring him as he slept. He truly was a beautiful creature, even with the drool and the morning breath. The women thought of the night before, how they spent the time to get to know each other in the most intimate way: to know each other in their most vulnerable form. Slowly and lightly, as not to disturb his sleep, Larka ran her fingers up and down his arm, and ghosted over his face, feeling the stubble that had started to grow on his jaw. "What a lucky girl I am, eh, Nocturnal?" she whispered with a grin. Despite her intentions, not to wake him, he stirred as she kissed his forehead gently.

The Nightingale gave a grunt, and looked around bleary eyed, his face breaking out into the biggest smile as his gaze rested on Larka. "Good morning, lass. Or should I say afternoon? What time is it?" She smiled, "Does it matter?" He chuckled, sitting up and giving her a soft kiss on the lips. "Not one bit as long as I am with you." Larka couldn't quell the feeling of giddiness that rose up inside of her. "I suppose not, my red haired thief, as long as we are together." She kissed him back, nuzzling closer to him. "But I do have to report to Delvin about my Solstheim escapade."

Groaning rather loudly and unnecessarily, Brynjolf flopped back onto the bed. "Do you have to?" he whined, "Wouldn't you much rather stay here with me?" She laughed at his intended childish behavior. "Of course I would, my love, but work has to be done first. I'm not going anywhere." Narrowing her eyes playfully, "Unless you plan on going somewhere." The red head put his hand over his heart in mock hurt, "Lass, you wound me. Why would I want to go anywhere when everything I could ever want or need is right here?" He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her onto him, kissing her deeply. Larka giggled thought the kiss, which suddenly turned into a surprised shriek as Brynjolf began to ticker her. "BRYNJOLF! YOU TROLL, STOP THAT!" she screamed through uncontrollable laughter. "IF YOU DON'T WANT A BROKEN NOSE YOU WILL STOP RIGHT NOW!" It was all said with good intent, for Larka didn't want to be held responsible for whatever injuries caused to him by her flailing about.

Laughing loudly, Brynjolf stopped the torture. "I didn't know you were so ticklish, Larka, I'll have to keep that in mind." He grinned mischievously. She shot him a look, "If you value your family jewels and your pretty face, you wouldn't dare." The older thief's grin didn't waiver, "I'll take my chances."

Sometime later, both Brynjolf and Larka walked into the Cistern. The younger had a skip in her step, and the red head had a grin plastered to his face that could not be removed. Larka waltzed over to the Flagon after a parting kiss with Brynjolf, who went to go over a few things in the ledger with Sapphire. In the Flagon, the young Nightingale found the Guildmaster and sat in the vacant seat across from him. "Well well well, look who finally decided to grace us with her presence. We were all beginning to think that Dibella had kidnapped you both. Or is Brynjolf still indisposed? I hope you didn't wear him out to badly, with his 'old age' and all." Delvin quirked a brow. Larka only grinned, "Nah, he's in one piece, I didn't work him too hard, in fact I think it was the other way around. He's quite flexible, who would have thought!" It was her turn to quirk a brow. "What's the matter, Delvin? You're going a bit pink?" His only response was a snort. "Alright, alright, enough of that." The Lark laughed. Twirling his tankard on the table, the Guildmaster grumbled, still a light shade of pink. "Just tell me how my dearest brother is before I can't look at you in the eye anymore."

The End.

* * *

 _I'm sorry if you are disappointed with the ending, I didn't want to go too far since it's my first published fanfiction. I also didn't want to drag the story out too much. I could build on this if I wanted to, but I'm moving on to a bigger story I have been writing forever. On another note, for those people who left reviews, I'm sorry about not replying! I'm still learning to navigate the site. Please know that I really appreciate it! As always, please excuse any grammar errors or typos. I try to catch them all but sometimes miss some. May your road lead you to warm sands._

-Ásleif


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